


Game over

by BrightBlueSkyler



Series: There's a room where the light won't find you (but I will try) [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, And angst, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Darkfic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Hurt/Comfort, Hunger Games, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, It - hunger games AU, Light Angst, M/M, Philosophy, Rated T for Trashmouth (IT), Richie Tozier Has a Sister, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie is good with a bow, Schmoop, Smarm, Survival, The Capitol (Hunger Games), This fic gonna get big, What Have I Done, actually two sisters, cool speeches, fuck the capitol, please give this a chance, the main character live, the main characters live, when people are dying, with a happy ending, you need to read this with everybody wants to rule the world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28856784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrightBlueSkyler/pseuds/BrightBlueSkyler
Summary: Did you ever had this thing, where you get stuck in an arena full of kids, you need to kill to come out alive, but then you find out that one of them is your childhood bestfriend, then you fall in love with another one, and then you become friends with a few guys there?Never had that? Well, believe me, it sucks.-Richard TozierORIn which Richie Tozier volunteers for the Hunger Games to safe his sister.(cause he can't lose another one)
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Foxface (Hunger Games)/Original Female Character(s), Mike Hanlon & Original Female Character(s), Mike Hanlon/Liz Camfee, Mike Hanlon/Original Character(s), Mike Hanlon/Original Female Character(s), Taylor Francis/Foxface
Series: There's a room where the light won't find you (but I will try) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116107
Comments: 5
Kudos: 2





	1. 1. Introducing: Taylor Francis

It was 3 AM, the bright starts under the veil of the night were shining, and giving a bit of light to district 12. It was raining and cold, the scent of fresh grass and dust was mixing with each other.  
A curly haired boy, leaning his back to the fence, cried his eyes out. He was sitting, only in a white old shirt that was like a dress to him and some pants, probably from his father. His dark curls were sticking to his skin due to the water falling over him. Maybe he wasn’t actually crying, maybe it was the rain, that poured over his head, and he couldn’t escape it. Maybe he didn’t cry, because all the tears in him were already out. His sister… His sister was reaped. Today, the 4th of July, Kayleigh Tozier was reaped for the hunger games at the age of fifteen. If Richie could, he would do anything to volunteer as a tribute, but he was only 9. Kayleigh, oh, Kayleigh… being reaped, being a tribute was a synonym to a dead body. He knew he would never see her again. What was her chance of winning? Absolutely zero. She was as skinny as a cigarette and she absolutely hated the Capitol. Oh gosh, Kayleigh hated the Capitol with her whole heart. How people were dressed, how people talked with their horrible Capitol accents, how ungrateful they were and how they brainwashed little kids into thinking that the Capitol was great. But of course those kids weren’t dumb. They have seen that the taxes are astronomically high, they live in poverty, so some random lady in the Capitol could have a plastic surgery. It wasn’t fair, everything that the Capitol did wasn’t fair. Like the Hunger Games… Like reaping Kayleigh.  
Suddenly Richie’s sobs were interrupted by a female voice.  
-Why are you crying?’ – Richie turned his head but no one was on the streets.  
\- Who is this? Where are you?’ – He asked sobbing, almost thinking it could be Kayleigh.  
\- You can’t see me, I am behind the fence.’ – Richie frowned his eyebrows, as far as he knew, people didn’t live behind the fences. Only people who had protested against the Capitol and were now hiding.  
\- But you haven’t answered my question, why are you crying?’ – Richie didn’t speak, who knew who this was? But he was too tired, it was good to have at least some support, right?  
\- My sister was reaped today.’ – That was enough for the girl to understand the whole situation.  
Suddenly the fence opened near Richie. It was a small door, not more than 50 cm. “Kayleigh wouldn’t fit” crossed Richie’s mind, but the thought was interrupted by a small body coming from the door. It was girl, maybe twelve years old, not older. She had short, black hair that was at least half covered by a red beret that was maybe from her mother: it was far too big for the girl. She had light brown eyes that looked like melted milk chocolate that was in the shop window of the Baker. She had small, bright red lips, which you could even see in the dark and chubby cheeks. She closed the door and looked at Richie. Then suddenly she did something that was maybe exactly what Richie needed right now: she hugged him tightly, letting him sobbing into her neck.  
-Oh, little boy, little boy… - Richie noticed that she spoke with a very deep and raspy voice, that was unusual for girls her age. – I am not going to say to not worry, not that she is alright…’  
That act surprised Richie a little bit. Today everyone said “don’t worry” or “she’s going to be alright”  
But maybe, this girl understands him…She wasn’t alright, and Richie would be a completely heartless person if he didn’t worry.  
-But you know what I am going to say? – Richie turned his eyes to look at her – That you need to cry it all out, but then let her go…if she wouldn’t return of course.  
-She won’t…  
\- What makes you think like that? – The girl in the beret holded with her small, warm hands Richie’s face.  
\- She hates the Capitol… She never wins the hunger games because she hates it, being just an entertainment for the people there. She is too proud to die on the rules from the Capitol. – He smiled – She probably already planned how she will stand up in front of the camera, say something like: ‘Fuck the Capitol’, and then commit suicide. That’s exactly something that Kayleigh would do…’  
The girl didn’t speak. Only with her eyes. ‘And I understand her’.  
-What’s your name, boy?  
-Richie, Richie Tozier. And yours?  
\- Taylor Francis.’  
***  
Taylor Francis was the daughter of Camellia L’etoile, a French woman who married an American. Her dad: Renan Francis, who grew up in district 12. He hated it, absolutely everything about district 12. About how “peacekeepers” treated them, how you could get beaten up by being different, how people needed a slice of bread to survive, just a small slice of bread, and the Capitol didn’t provide it. So, after the death of his older sister, who died due to cancer, he flee to the bare landscapes of Panem, where he found his future wife Camellia on the beach.  
Camellia was born in France, and she, on the other hand, not like Renan, loved her home. She was in love with France. Of course after the wars it didn’t look like it was before, she still loved how the sun settled down over the hills, to begin the sunset, how the warm sea tickled her feet, how lovely but straightforward the French were… But she couldn’t stay. Her dad was a rebellion against the French government, so, they had to flee with a small boat to America. Only he didn’t survive the crossing. She saw the mighty ocean swallow her father, and she alone was stranded on a beach. So there she was, alone looking at the wide ocean.  
That’s when Renan found her. They both settled down, a few miles away from the sea. Near the borders of the 12th district and the 8th. Because the fences, both districts were at least a few miles away from each other, no one could ever see them, and they could easily climb over the fences to buy something, like bread or other things you couldn’t find in nature.  
Renan was an engineer and physicist. Camellia was an excellent survivor and chemist. She could hunt as the best and was a master at swimming (of course when you had to cross the entire Atlantic). Then they had two kids: Josephine and Taylor. Both girls were healthy and it looked like the future was bright for them. Only Josephine didn’t reach the age of 4. Right a week before her birthday, Josephine disappeared. She was just gone, without any spots of blood or any other clues that would have pointed out how she were gone missing. So Taylor was there, an only child, who of course, received all the attention of her parents.  
From her mother she learned how to swim, make a raft, found out which plants were eatable, which ones had a medical effect. She was well-aimed, she could even kill a flying bird from a big distance, shooting him right in the eye. Basically everything that you needed to survive and hunt. Also Camellia did learn her a lot about chemicals and medicine. Of course only through books, they didn’t have any elements at home. From her father she learned a lot about how electricity worked, how to make it, how to use it. She learned a lot about physics, which she could use even by hunting. So you could say that Taylor was awesome at surviving at the age of 11. Everything in her live seemed great.  
But the something terrible happened: they were discovered by the Capitol, who was first furious. How could a refuge and a French woman hide with their child for so many years?  
But when they were inspecting, they saw something that could be useful. From absolutely nothing, Renan and Camellia have managed to make a good isolated house, survive for two decades, have comforts that weren’t even in some rich districts and a daughter that was above average when it came to education. With that they have decided to leave the family alone if they paid the taxes, Renan would teach at a school in district 12 and Taylor attended the reaping day in district 8. If they only knew how big of a problem that could be…  
***  
And now let go!’ – Taylor shouted and Richie let the arrow slide from his bow. The arrow reached it goal and landed precisely on the red dot, painted on the large pine tree. They were in the forest, near Taylor’s house. She and Richie became best of friends and hung out a lot together. First it was only at the night, otherwise the Richie’s parents would notice. But then he came to a solution saying he would go working at the paper store nearby, to feed the family, ‘cause Kayleigh died during the hunger games, exactly how Richie predicted she would. When the games started she pulled out a small kitchen knife she probably stole in the Capitol. It pointed to her neck with its sharp side. Then she said: “Fuck the whole entire Capitol…I love you, Mom, Florence and Richie”. With 3 fingers up, she committed suicide being the first dead of the hunger games. And even her dead body holded 3 fingers up. That’s exactly how she wanted to go, on her own rules.  
It was already one year after the legendary words from Kayleigh has been spoken. Everyone in district 12 was still talking about Kayleigh. Of course, nothing ever happened in district 12, so it was kind of normal. Richie still recovered from his lost, but with Taylor, and Florence, it was much easier.  
Taylor took him hunting, swimming in the sea and sometimes “plant hunting”. It wasn’t like Richie was better in that kind of stuff, but he could definitely survive in the wild and heal an infected wound.  
She cared of him and he cared of her. Although them being good friends, something romantic that could happen to them never crossed their minds. It was something abnormal and weird, besides, Taylor already agreed to be the maid of honor on Richie’s wedding.  
They had fun together, and sometimes Taylor came over trough the small door, in the fence of district 12 to pick Richie up from school, or stay to babysit his sister Florence. Florence liked Taylor, almost like she was her sister, like Richie was her brother.  
Richie’s and Taylor’s friendship lasted 4 years. Lasted? Did I say in in the past tense?  
It was like they were living in a small paradise, until the Capitol decided, that keeping Taylor in the wild, let her go hunting…with weapons! That wasn’t a good idea. They transferred her to an orphanage in district 8. That’s what Richie were told when he arrived at the door in the fence where they usually met up. Instead of Taylor he saw crying Camellia. She told him every single detail how they brought Taylor away.  
***  
2 years later  
I opened my eyes to see that the sun has already risen and Florence has already woken up, making porridge with the grains I managed to buy last Saturday. But normally, when we had something to eat for breakfast, it was a feast. Today it wouldn’t be, it never was on July 4th. Reaping day. They were times when I didn’t even look up who it was, that was getting reaped, and I didn’t care. But that was changed after Kayleigh. Everything changed, my whole life. Taylor came, Kayleigh died… Now, when Taylor was taken by the Capitol, my life has changed again. We were almost always hungry, except for the times where when I managed to go by the Peacekeepers and go hunting, and usually it was then a feast meal.  
Also every year I would go to the tribute, who was chosen after the reaping, and give them some food and a remembrance of district 12. Everyone knew I was the brother of Kayleigh, so they took it and I comforted them. It wasn’t easy, cause I knew, that or they would die. Or they would go back and have blood on their hands that they couldn’t wash off. Now, since I started to be elected for the reaping, I knew there was a chance that it was going to be my name that Effie would pick up from the list. And Florence’s.  
***  
-Florence Tozier!’  
I heard my heart sank.


	2. 2. Morse Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are apprtitietaed!

Liz Camfee.  
Maybe to a normal person in Panem, that name would be meaningless. There wouldn’t be any association with this Liz Camfee.  
Who is Liz Camfee? Liz Camfee is a 17 years old girl with the most adorable cheeks dimples. What does she do in her life? She likes to study. Not that boring school stuff, you learn about in the classroom, but more interesting studies. Precisely: psychology. But the key to knowing exactly who she is, hides in a completely other question.  
Where does Liz Camfee live?  
District 13  
***

Taylor Francis was running through the hall. It had no windows, no doors. It was just her in a metal, dark and long hall. She was running with a giggle, smiling. Taylor didn’t look like she did now though. She was chubbier and had shorter hair and bigger eyes. Her nose wasn’t as expressively as it is now and her lips were more pink, than red. She was younger. Somewhere between the age of 9 and 12.  
Behind her was a girl running. She had long black hair and a long “horse face”. Full, red lips and a smile.  
-I am gonna catch you, Tay!’  
-Catch me if you can!’ – said Taylor running through the hall. Suddenly the wall opened and a man stepped into the hall.  
\- Girls, don’t run, you know Miss Coin would be mad!  
-Finnick! – The girls shouted and both ran into his hug.  
***

-So it’s thee short signals and then three long ones?’  
-Yeah, but then after the long ones, you need to add again three short signals.’  
-And that’s the code for s. o .s?  
-Yeah, know we can let each other know if we’re in trouble – said Liz – You know, when Coin caught you stealing the food.’ Taylor laughed, happily.

***  
The dry leaves tried to pick me in the eyes while I laid on the ground. My curls were desperately trying to go in my mouth and by back was starting to hurt. A deer near us, didn’t know, that this minutes where probably his last ones, was peacefully eating his lunch. I looked at Taylor, who was thinking about something. Then she waved at me and started to touch her right hand with her left hand index dinger.  
One long touch, three short ones, pause. B. One short one, pause. B-E. Four short ones, pause. B-E-H. Two short ones, pause. B-E-H-I. One long touch, one short one, pause. B-E-H-I-N. One long touch, two short ones, she stopped. B-E-H-I-N-D.  
I needed to go behind the deer so he wouldn’t run in pain away. I started to crawl behind the trees so the dear wouldn’t see me. When I was at my finish point, I waved at Taylor, signaling to shoot.  
She shot, right in the eye. The deer tried to run away with a scream, but was caught by my sword, impaling his neck. He tried to stay in the same position, but after a fight with the sword, he fell at my feet.  
-C’mon Rich, now we can’t sell the neck to Sae, she doesn’t want a neck with a hole through it.’ Said Taylor standing up.  
-We can cover it up?’- I said while I get my bloody sword out of the fallen deer. – And she makes bouillon out of it, it doesn’t matter. Besides, I think she will want more the head.’  
Taylor smiled and looked at the deer.  
-Poor deer, sometimes I feel really sorry about them.’  
-But you know what your dad said, right Tay?  
-Yes…- she sighed – It’s either you, either them. And your choice to decide.’  
She then frowned and looked at me.  
-You know Rich, sounds like the Hunger games to me. – I nodded - And you know, I don’t really like the Hunger games.’

***  
-I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute!’ – I heard someone in the crowd. Even drunk, I still thought that the owner of this voice also wasn’t sober. Alcohol was usually like a fog in my brain, but when these words were spoken, the fog vanished, leaving a normally functioning brain. The girl, Florence, was also confused, but then when she saw who came out of the crowd started crying.  
-No, Richie, No! – The small girl pulled at the curly haired boy sleeve, trying to take him away from the stage. – You are not going to! - ‘The boy looked at and then sat near her on his knees.  
-Hey, Florence… - He said in a soothing voice and then hugged her. – The neighbors are going to take care of you. Right Missis Oliviera? - He looked at a middle-aged woman near him.  
-Of course dear, Florence is in safe hands.’ – She said sobbing. – She wouldn’t have any discomforts.’  
The guy nodded, like he just didn’t put his sister, or whatever she was to him, for adoption. He walked onto the stage. Effie looked at me smiling and I wanted to vomit into her face. She was happy because finally something interesting happened in her district, the last was when I won the Hunger games at the Quarter Quell. She was happy with people dying.  
Absolutely. Disgusting.  
-What’s your name, boy? You wanted of course all the glory to yourself! – She said with a fake smile – A little bit of selfish, don’t you think?’ – She winked at him and then turned around, not noticing he put rabbit ears with two fingers behind her. Everyone at the ceremony started laughing and Effie didn’t notice why, to the moment when she turned around to see the boy holding up two fingers and smiling.  
-I am sorry, miss Effie, but if you think it’s selfish to let yourself die for your sister, your priorities are a little bit messed up.’ – He said still smiling. –My name is Richard Tozier, miss.’  
-Richard Tozier, aren’t you the brother of Kylie? That tribute from a few years ago?  
-Kayleigh, miss. You mispronounced her name, -He said suddenly becoming very serious – To you she was just another lifeless tribute, to me, my sister.’  
-Is it a family thing to disrespect the Capitol? – Said the woman with the wig, clearly annoyed by the boy.  
\- The Capitol killed my sister, I have all the rights to disrespect it. – That kid was definitely on dangerous ground.  
-She killed herself, not the Capitol, – smirked Effie – she just wanted attention!’  
The kids face was boiling, but he didn’t have the guts to slap her. But me, who was also now on the edge, had them. Especially under influence of alcohol. I stood up, and slapped the woman right in her face, leaving a little bit of make-up powder on my knuckles. She then screamed from pain and looked wildly me in the eyes, but not for long, I had already my eyes on the boy, who was thanking me with his eyes, I nodded.  
Effie realized that the cameras were still filming (not that they wouldn’t cut this scene), smiled again with a fake grimace.  
-And now, let’s pick someone from the boys! – She said with her high-pitched Capitol accent. – Wait, but we do already have one boy.’ – She looked at Richard.  
\- I don’t care, Florence isn’t going anywhere, and is it against the rules to have two people from a district with the same gender? No right?’  
-No…no it isn’t. Let’s move on then. – She walked to the bowl with the boys names and picked out a random name. – Edward Kaspbrak!’  
***  
Unfortunately, I knew that name. Eddie was a kid, a year younger at my school. He didn’t live in the Seam, not like me, so his name wasn’t there an uncountable amount of times. No wonder the boy looked surprised and of course, it wasn’t a good surprise. He looked shocked and his legs, not listening to his brain, walked him to the stage. He was the son of Sonia Kaspbrak, a retired medic. They said, that Sonia was ones one of the best medics of the whole District 12. That changed when her son, Eddie was born, and her husband left her, not wanting to have the responsibility of having a son. She went crazy and turned into a completely different person.  
Eddie stood at the stage and looked at me. I winked at me and he smirked. It wasn’t a secret that I found him cute.  
I looked into the audience, who was once again relieved that it wasn’t them, or their children who were chosen this year. And I couldn’t blame them. The suddenly an old man put three fingers on his lips, then raised them. The rest followed. Everyone raised the tree middle fingers to the air. Florence, who was still crying looked at me with a goodbye-ish look. She knew that I probably wasn’t going back.

***

We were in a more fancy train than probably the whole Seam, together. Of course, Eddie lived not poorly, but this wasn’t even something near anywhere in District 12. I already said goodbye to Florence and missis Oliviera. Florence gave me a mocking jay broche she made herself. I already pinned it to the collar of my shirt, and it was now was wearing it proudly, looking at Effie, who was even more annoyed by me now. 

The servants said that we needed to sit at a big table, which was filled with the most delicious looking food, I didn’t even knew the names of.  
We started to eat in complete silence, except for the sounds of me and Eddie eating. We never had so many food. Never mind, such delicious food. For a starter we had a soup, and I thought it was the main dish, and was already surprised how much we were allowed to eat. Then the main dish came:  
A big, roasted bird with dried grapes, mashed potatoes and syrup all over the dish, dripping from the bird’s wing.

We started eating and it was truly delicious. Maybe the Capitol was really bad at politics, but it was definitely good at cooking.  
-I am really happy you know how to eat with manners – said Effie – The last year I had a couple that ate with their bare fingers! Can you imagine?’  
I was more intrigued by Eddie’s response rather than Effie’s words. He looked at his fork and knife and smiled. Then threw them away on the floor and started to eat with his fingers. Iconic to me.

Especially Effie’s face expression made the whole situation even juicier. She looked disgusted by him and he only smiled.  
Then we continued eating, me also with my fingers. The dessert where waffles with some whipped cream. After that Effie stood up and looked us.  
-So, my tributes. Now are we going to watch how it all went in the other districts.’  
We sat on a soft couch and Effie turned up the television.

In district one there were two eighteen year olds, who volunteered, named Mia and Dorian, district two had also two careers: Bianca and Oreus. District three had a girl named Stacy, who was seventeen years old, and a boy named Guell. My heart hurt a little bit: the boy was only thirteen years old. District four had a girl, who was fourteen, named Davine and a volunteered boy named Oscar. District 5 had a girl named Finch, who kind of reminded me of a fox. And a boy named Gereth. In district 6, there was a girl named Propentina, who had a panic attack when they pulled out her name, and a boy named Alatar. District seven offered to the Capitol Gwen and Glennis.  
Then came District eight. The square was filled with a lot of people and in a small circle near them, kids from the orphanage with their black dresses and white collars. I recognized Taylor out of the kids and my heart had a kick. She had bags under her eyes and she was skinnier than ever. They first chose a boy, named Carpus. Then the turn came to the girls. They picked out a name and read it to the audience.  
***  
POV Eddie

-Taylor Francis!’  
-NO! – Richie shouted in front of everyone – This has to be a mistake, Taylor can’t be chosen!’  
-Do you know her? – asked Effie.  
-Yes, I know her – Richie said crying, and I wanted to wipe his tears of his face.  
-How? She is from a different district – said Haymitch.  
-You remember that couple that the Capitol found in the forest, near district twelve and eight? – Haymitch and Effie nodded – Well, she is their daughter…and my best friend.’  
Then suddenly a realization hit Richie. He looked at me full of tears.  
-Do you want to come home, after the games, Eddie?’  
How much I hated it to admit, I really wanted it. I loved living and wanted to enjoy it more, even if it was so selfish. So I nodded.  
-Well kid, - he looked at me with a sadly look– with her in the arena, you have as many chances winning, as President Snow has to be replaced.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Districts tribute (order: girl, boy, except 12):  
> Mia, Dorian  
> Bianca, Oreus  
> Stacy, Guell  
> Davine, Oscar  
> Finch (foxface), Gereth  
> Propentina, Alatar  
> Gwen, Glennis  
> Taylor, Carpus  
> Beatrice, Rasley  
> Ginevra, Michael  
> Rue, Tresh  
> Richard, Edward


	3. 3. Regina Uris, the team and and lightning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So it's my birthday so i decided to put out a chapter. I hope y'al like t

Carpus and Taylor were sitting in the train lounge and it was really luxurious. Diamond buttons for curtains and pearls in the couch. That was the thing the Capitol wasted the tax money for. Fucking pearls in couches. Why do you need fucking pearls in fucking couches? That’s makes no sense. The same thing with Juliette, the one in the Capitol who was under control for District 8, she had a row of rhinestones “buried” in her face. Why? Carpus and Taylor didn’t have a clue.  
-So… - Carpus looked at Taylor, who he hasn’t seen before – can you fight?’  
-No – she lied – I don’t, never had.’  
-But aren’t you that girl who was sent to the orphanage because the Capitol was too afraid she would lead a rebellion? ‘  
Taylor looked at him and then frowned. – Didn’t know that…They should be more afraid of my parents honestly, I can’t do shit. They are masters in all kind of surviving’

Carpus nodded. Taylor was awfully quiet, but extremely beautiful. She had the cutest smile, a short cute bob, and deep eyes. They weren’t exactly “beautiful”, they weren’t one of those blue eyes that Lula, his sister, had. They weren’t full of spaces and galaxies, shining brighter than the stars at the heaven. They were dark and warm. Like fire and cozy blankets stolen from the factory his father worked at.  
They were deep and it looked like she knew a lot of things, but she was wise, and didn’t tell them.  
What were those things?

***

-So, what can you do? – Asked Haymitch me in Richie – Any weapons? Any fighting skills?’  
-They can’t have any experience with weapons, -replied Effie – that’s illegal.’  
-Haymitch frowned and the said – Effie, when you are about to die from starvation, you don’t care what’s illegal and what’s not. You just want to live, even if that’s going to be in jail.’

Effie made a grimace in disgust but didn’t say anything except asked with her eyes: do y’all do that? Richie shook his head, of course he was lying. I also shook my head, but I was telling the truth. I couldn’t do shit. I was absolutely useless for the Hunger games.   
-I can’t do anything, so I am kind of ready to die.’ – Silence. Only Richie then said with a tone of surprise.  
-You can’t do anything? Are you joking or is this some kind of strategy? – What did he mean?  
-But I seriously can’t fight! – I replied – I’m not kidding!’  
-I didn’t said you could fight, - he turned his head to me – I said you can do something. Something, doesn’t need to be fighting.’ – I frowned  
-Seriously, Eds, you now a lot about medicine, you are seriously the son of a pretty good retired medic.’  
I guess medicine really does mean something, since Effie clapped her hands and said that that was already a good start.   
-So, about Edward we already figured it out. – Said Haymitch – and you, kid?

-What about me? – Asked Richie – I don’t know. – He looked at Effie in shame but then said – I am pretty aimed, not gonna lie. But I guess that’s it…  
-No not like you provide food for like the whole western neighborhood? No it’s not like that at all! – I said spontaneous with a sarcastic note.  
And I didn’t know why? Why did I hype Richie up? Because he deserves it. Although he and his sister Florence were starving orphans, he still managed to give free food to the really poor ones in the Seam, and he sold his meat to the one who had their money. He helped District 12 so much.  
-Richie, let’s face it. You’re good.’

***

After a procedure of 50 minutes of scrubbing my face, peeling masks of, making my hair as shiny as a mirror and even removing my scars, I was done for my stylist. I found it incredibly unnecessary. Yeah, sponsors, and what? They are gonna save my life? Like I am going to make it out alive. The Capitol dresses us up like Barbie dolls, to chop of our head later. Almost like they care. I hate it. The girls that were giving me a make over (I didn’t listen to their names) and let me wear only a hospital-like gown.   
The room I entered was completely white, without any traces of dirt, dust or even…life? Like they used this room only for tributes, to send them beautifully and gracefully to their death. Fun.

In the center of the room were two chairs. On one of them sat a lady. She looked tired like she hasn’t slept in a month. Unlike all other Capitol citizens, I found her kind of normal. She didn’t have buried diamonds in her skin, neither a perfect, clear skin. Only a few dimples and pimples here and there. She didn’t have blowed out lips, which almost suffocated her. She didn’t have greenish skin. She looked completely normal.  
My stylist had black hair in a ponytail behind her back, light brown eyes, surrounded my lashes with a few mascara clumps on it. She had bags under her eyes and her whole face was sprinkled with freckles.   
She looked at me and smiled tiredly.

-Richard Tozier? Am I right?’ – She said. She looked like she was about to pass out. – come here.’  
I sat on the chair and then she pushed a button on the table and food appeared there. It was some sushi with salmon, crab sticks and caviar. I took them and they melted in my mouth.

-So, my dear, how do you find the Capitol up to now?’  
-I like it, it’s beautiful.’ – I lied. I truly thought it was beautiful, but I didn’t like it. I was more that I was horrified.  
-Don’t lie to me, this is probably the last time when you can say what you think – she smiled – I managed to take all the cameras and microphones from this room. I know what you think.’ – I thought she will continue to speak, but she finished.  
-What do I think?’  
-You find it horrible. You like it in a weird way, more like…jealousy. You are scared that if you win, this is what you will end up with. You find us disgusting, don’t you?’ – I sighed. She was right.  
-Yeah…and why do you say that kind of thing, even if you are from the Capitol?’  
-Because I agree.’

***

My stylist named Perius, was now discussing my outfit with me.  
-So Edward, you’re fellow tribute Richard is now with my partner Regina. Since we decided that the coal miner’s costumes are getting old, we have something new in our pockets! Yeah alright, no more bad miners costumes. We decided that since coal mining is something we do to make electrical power, we will be dressing you up either as fire, either as electrical lightning either as water steam. Since letting you on fire isn’t the best idea and making fire from paper or fabric would be absolutely horrible, we decided to pick from these other two. So, what do you think it will be?’ - I wanted to answer but he didn’t even listen to me – That’s right, my dear, the lightings, isn’t that cool! Of course I see that you like it, you have tears of joy! – I got an eyelash in my eyeball.’

Then he stood up and opened a door where I saw my costume. It was a completely black latex suit with a collar. Fortunately it wasn’t tight and the pants had wide pipes. I wouldn’t be suffocated while the opening ceremony. But what amazed me the most where the cape that was also from latex, hanging from the neck. It was also completely black without any signs of dirt.  
-But this isn’t the whole thing! – Said Perius before he clicked a button on the costume and the whole thing was on lightings! Small bolts were appearing on the costume here and there. And bigger ones on the cape. It was almost on fire. And I had to wear it. Well shit.

***

-Ben! Are you coming? – I heard Beverly’s voice coming from the living room – Yeah, yeah don’t worry, wait a second, I am making chocolate milk!’ – I said while I poured some chocolate powder into the four glasses of milk. I mixed the texture with a spoon and the milk became brown.  
-Ben, you’re gonna miss the parade. That’s literally the only part of the Hunger games when I’m not crying.’ – She screamed.  
I smiled sadly.

Beverly Marsh was my neighbor and we were friends since we were born. In school we sticked with each other, because a lot of kids hated us for being not normal, not like everyone else. Beverly didn’t have any plastic surgery when she was 10, Beverly wasn’t obsessed with make-up powder that made you look like a piece of fabric. She climbed trees when she was a kid and had always bruises on her knees. I didn’t wear weird pink collars and costumes when I was twelve.  
We were just really different. Not like everyone hated us, no. We had a few friends.  
Stanley Uris was a good friend of mine. He was a really loyal and kind friend despite being sarcastic all the time. He liked bird watching and was overall just an amazing person. Bill Denbrough was also a friend and we liked to play chess together. He had a brother named Georgie who he loved unconditionally. 

In school people called us the Losers club, which name we proudly took. Yeah, we were losers and nothing could change that. But there was one reason why our family all liked that we were together.   
At least one member of our family was in the rebellion against the Capitol, despite being Capitol citizens. I didn’t know much about it and my parents said to always keep our mouths shut about it, or they could get arrested. As far as I know the base of the second rebellion was located in District 13. I never was there because I spend my whole life in the Capitol.  
But I knew how everything worked.

Regina Uris, the mother of Stanley Uris was a stylist for the tributes in the hunger games and from her, everyone gathered all the information about the arena, the hunger games, and the tributes and how everyone will work. Juliana Hansom, my mother, was working for the government in the military and was the one responsible for hiring peacekeepers with some other Capitol patriots. She tried to prevent cruel peacekeepers to work and was trying to keep down the attacks on different districts. Like the one who was planned to burn down district 12 to ashes like what happened to district 13. Troye Marsh, Beverly’s uncle, who also adopted Beverly, was the one responsible for the engineering of the Capitol’s walls and the entrance, which made him have all the blueprints and he could sabotage the project, so one day the second rebellion could walk in. Madelaine Denbrough, Bill’s aunt lived in district 13 and was receiving the loads of information via Morse code that Hannah Denbrough send her via a radio machine with an AM radio. All the Capitol citizens and the Capitol themselves had FM radio’s, which made them unable to hear the signals Hannah send. And Madelaine would eventually send the translated code to Demont Camfee, one of the most important people in district 13. I knew his daughter a little bit, Liz ones came over with her dad to investigate something. 

-Ben come here it’s about to start!’ –said Beverly.  
\- Y-eah B-ben, we are w-waiting only f-for you! – stuttered Bill.  
\- Coming!’ – He said and walked into the living room of Beverly. We always watched the Hunger games at Beverly’s and today they were going to watch the parade with Hannah Denbrough and Troye Marsh.  
-Here is the chocolate milk!’ – I said while giving Bev, Stan and Bill some.  
-Hey you forgot us! – Said Troye and laughed. – I am offended.’

I smiled even though I hated that we still could make jokes during the Hunger games.  
It started.  
First the massive doors that reflected sunlight opened and we saw the first carriage with the tributes from district one. They were all smiling and happy. Maybe the people that were born and raised in poor districts were faking the smiling, but I couldn’t say the same thing about district one and two. They were so brainwashed by the Capitol, that it almost seemed genuine.

Mia and Dorian were in big Ball gowns completely covered in diamonds and golden laces. These ones were definitely getting sponsors. Then district two came with Bianca and Oreus dressed in clothes from the ancient Rome (we had a few illegal history books at home). Stacy and Guell from district 3 were dressed absolutely horrible. They had colored Christmas lights all over their body with a white dress underneath it. You could see that they were both not comfortable and Stacy was holding Guell’s hand tight and she looked like a big sister. Davine and Oscar from district four had big blue dresses with pearls, what made them look like the sea. They were all gorgeous and beautiful, definitely getting some sponsors. 

District 5 had a girl named Finch and a boy named Gereth. They were in weird suits covered completely in silver glitter. Propentina and Alatar from district 6 were not in a carriage but in a train-like thing and had golden dress and suit in. But instead of a normal dress gown or trousers, they had this weird wheel on them what I suppose to make them look like broughams. District’s seven Gwen and Glennis were in shapeless gowns covered in wood bark. Then came district’s eight Taylor and Carpus. Then had both beautiful dresses made from all sorts of green fabric. Light green, sage green, emerald and dark, almost black green. It was all sewed together that made them also a little bit shapeless. 

But when Taylor and Carpus came on screen Troye spitted his water out. He looked at Hannah. She was also terrified. And looked at Troye.   
-What?’ – Asked Beverly – You know one of them?’  
-She is the daughter of Camellia L’etoile and Renan Francis – said Hannah, she looked now even more worried at Troye. – Does it mean our operation begins?’  
-Yeah I suppose to. But that would be horrible. We agreed it will begin if we are ready or it will begin sooner if one of our children will get picked…but we are not even half-ready.’  
-That doesn’t matter. It begins – Hannah sipped from her glass of water – that was the plan. It’s the daughter of one of the up-circle, which means that we need to do it. She knows what’s going on.’  
Exactly when she finished her sentence Regina Uris opened the door.  
-Hannah, I need you to send it to district 13. – Regina gave Hannah a letter and she went into her radio station room. I looked in confusion at Regina.

-So kids, I will give you a small task. – We looked all ready to help the adults – Look really precisely at the tributes in the Hunger games, analyze everything. Try to see what they are up to. Especially the girl in district eight. They are now watched 24/7, so nothing interesting will happen, but as soon as they enter, look at them. – We nodded. – But that isn’t the most important thing, - she walked to a closet and opened the second bottom. She then picked up a big wooden box. She put it near us and opened it. It was full of money, a lot of money. Thousands or even ten thousands of dollars. We looked at the box in shock. – You need to keep them alive as long as possible. Troye will sabotage the mechanism and turn off the force field, y’all are their sponsors. Look – she pointed at the money box near the television. Money boxes were things specially designed for the Hunger games. You could do the money in the box who would transfer it through a pipe and you could buy then products for the tributes by picking them on a touchscreen. That was a pretty new technique. In the past we would go their mentors to buy them something. – Buy everything they need. Keep them alive. As long as possible.’

-But mom, they will die anyway.’ – said Stanley. –How can we keep them alive?’  
-That’s the whole point – said Regina – maybe not everyone will die. Maybe no one will die.’  
We nodded and she walked away. In that time she talked, Beatrice and Rasley were already up with Ginevra and Michael both in suits with glitter. Original. Then came Rue and Tresh from district eleven. They were in costumes from ancient Greece. But then came district twelve, and I spitted out my chocolate milk. They were in black dress-like latex suits with a cape. They had small light bolts all over the whole thing, appearing and disappearing. They holded each other hands tightly but unlike all the other tributes, didn’t smile. Just looked forward. They had tons of eyeliner on them and looked almost terrific. It was truly amazing, everyone on the stadium clapped and screamed. The stylists of district twelve definitely did a great job. Regina did a great job. 

But they were all screaming Edward’s name. Not Richard’s name. I wondered why. Almost like she could read my mind Beverly said.  
-They are not screaming Richie’s name because he is the brother of Kayleigh Tozier. – She let out a worried smirk – The Capitol wants him dead as soon as possible. It will be a whole quest to keep him alive.’

**Author's Note:**

> Comment and leave Kudos cause I need to be motivated. Don't forget to write feedback please.


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